HIV/AIDS Global Impact and Challenges

The assignment analyzes the worldwide impact of HIV/AIDS, particularly emphasizing its devastating effects in sub-Saharan Africa. It delves into the socioeconomic and cultural factors influencing HIV prevalence rates in different regions. The paper also explores the efforts of organizations and governments in addressing the epidemic and highlights the need for tailored strategies to combat this public health crisis.

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Running head: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES NURSING
Global perspectives nursing
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Introduction
HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious global health concern and development
challenges. Healthcare organisations across the globe are putting in best efforts to alleviate
issues and concerns arising in healthcare delivery for HIV/AIDS. Professionals are engaged
in research to understand, treat and prevent HIV infection, and make the mostly affected
areas free from the burden of the disease. The present paper discusses the global health topic
of HIV/AIDS and provides key insight into the need of immediate health care decisions in the
areas where the magnitude of the issue is mostly felt. The paper highlights the factors that
impact health and health care delivery in the global areas most affected by HIV/AIDS.
Further, it describes the interventions that have been implemented for addressing the health
care issues associated with HIV/AIDS. This would take into consideration how the healthcare
decisions and practices at the local level relate to the delivery of healthcare in relation to
HIV/AIDS. The next section of the paper explains the influence of altruistic organisations on
health care practices in the selected global area. In addition, an explanation of the evidence-
based interventions that are efficient, effective and cost-effective for the promotion of
wellness and disease prevention among the population is provided.
Background of prevalence of the disease
Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a gamut of health conditions caused as a result of infection with the
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV/AIDS is one of the most important health
problems facing the world at the present time. Since the world faced the initiation of the
epidemic of the disease, around 70 million people have bene infected with the virus, and the
mortality rate has been high, with 35 million people already dead. Speaking on a global basis,

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around 36.7 million people had been living with this disease at the end of 2016 (who.int,
2018).
The burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic varies in a considerable manner between
regions and countries. The region that remains most effected by this health concern is the
Sub-Saharan Africa, where almost 1 in every 25 adults is living with HIV. This accounts for
nearly two-third of the people living with the disease worldwide. HIV/AIDS in Africa is a
long-term development challenge, and the areas that are hardest hit by the disease are
southern Africa and East Africa. Around 420,000 AIDS-related death was reported in East
and Southern Africa in the year 2016. There has been a financial and political commitment to
fight the epidemic and countries such as Kenya an South Africa are making some
improvement. However, there is still much to achieve in terms of scaling up of prevention
and treatment of HIV/AIDS (avert.org 2018).
The factors that impact health and health care delivery
HIV/AIDS is one of the greatest health concern in sub-Saharan Africa since the
epidemic undermines three developmental pillars: human capital, growth and investment
climate. The diversity of HIV prevalence among different parts of the globe is attributable to
a wide range of biological, socioeconomic, behavioural and demographic factors. A number
of studies have been conducted in the recent past that group the risk factors for HIV among
the population in sun-Saharan Africa into two categories- influential risk factors and
behavioural risk factors. The determinants are complex and interact with each other to cause
the epidemic (Lachman et al., 2014).
According to Poku (2017), the critical role of human behaviour is the main factor for
high prevalence of HIV in the African region. Qualitative and quantitative studies point out
that early age of onset of sexual activities, negligible use of a condom, and sexual intercourse

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with multiple partners are the most common causes of high HIV prevalence. The researchers
further pointed out that malnutrition, poverty, lack of hygiene and abscence of care practices
for sexually transmitted diseases are of high significance when it comes to explaining the
reason behind the high rate of HIV prevalence. In almost all countries of the Sub-Saharan
African region, the high spread of HIV has been long associated with a number of key factors
such as low level of knowledge, incomplete epidemiological transition with a high prevalence
of communicable diseases, gender inequality, and poor living conditions. Lastly, cultural
traditions have favoured the epidemic through the age of the onset of sexual activity.
Liamputtong (2015) point out that urbanisation, poor access to health services and
low levels of governance, all contribute to the failure in combating rapid spread of HIV
among the masses. As there is an increase of urbanisation, the unhealthy environment has
coupled with an overwhelmed health system and is hindering the successful prevention of the
spread of infectious diseases such as HIV. Poor access to information is noteworthy since
many individuals are not aware of the preventive measures and modes of transmission of the
disease. Though awareness of the epidemic is on the rise, there is still inadequacy in specific
knowledge about the disease. Obe must note that structural adjustment programs are
accountable for leading to epidemic conditions through by deepening of poverty and reducing
health services when the populace was highly vulnerable to infectious diseases. The influence
of governance on HIV epidemic in the African region is highlighted since poor governance
had led to disastrous economic condition most of the countries. The political environment
which is corrupted had, and continues to have decision makers would are not able to invest
enough in prevention and health promotion activities.

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Interventions that have been implemented
Over the last one decade the African governments, private voluntary organisations,
international development agencies and other non-governmental groups across the sub-
Saharan African region have given much emergy, time, and devoted resources for the
development of low-cost interventions with the aim of arresting the spread of HIV/AIDS
(Mwale & Muula 2017). As per the authors, different programs have focused on distributing
AIDS leaflets and paraphernalia. Messages have been given out for informing people about
the adverse health impacts brought about by this infection. These have been regularly
broadcasted on television, radio, displayed on billboards and published in newspapers.
Hundreds of peer educators across the communities are known to visit local hotels,
STD clinics, and work sites for providing AIDS-prevention education and distributing free
condom. Condoms are also available at a very cheap cost with the help of social marketing
programs. HIV-prevention messages have had the focus on the promotion of partner
reduction, alternatives to risky sexual practices, mutually faithful monogamy, postponing of
sexual debut, consistent use of condoms, better recognition of STD symptoms, and effective
health-seeking behaviour. For increasing the effectiveness of the interventions, attempts have
been made to make them locally relevant and culturally appropriate (Robinson, 2017).
Influence of altruism on global health evidence-based interventions
Against the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the population, non-
governmental and altruistic organisations are playing a critical role in delivering HIV
prevention services and support to those suffering from the disease. African NGOs are taking
part in HIV prevention programs with a number of at-risk populations, and their main aim is
to direct the attention of the youth towards this health issue. The struggle is being undertaken

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for implementing the cost-effective and sustainable program with limited resources that can
address the care needs of the population (Lombe & Ochumbo, 2017).
Two of the noteworthy altruistic organisations working for AIDS prevention and
treatment is Project HOPE and Peace Corp (Gökengin et al., 2016). Project HOPE empowers
healthcare workers to take part in the delivery of expert care when there is a crisis. It is an
organisation that delivers essential supplies and medicines, medical training and volunteers
for the prevention of diseases including HIV and, promotes wellness of the individuals
suffering from the disease. Peace Corp is another praiseworthy organisation that has taken up
the responsibility of creating an AIDs-free generation. The prime focus of the organisation is
on scaling up of combined HIV prevention and treatment programs. In addition, it is
supporting intensive research that can find novice ways of improving conditions in the
communities.
Interventions to address the global health topic
The high prevalence of HIV is unexpected, and therefore there is an urgent need for
further investigating the strategies that when applied can address the issues prevalent in the
society for reducing the burden of the disease. The relationship between health and
socioeconomic parameters and HIV status are to be explored for coming up with strategies
that are more appropriate to handle the issue (Wright & Carnes, 2016). Mondol and Shitan
(2013) opined that the healthcare departments in the Sub-Saharan African region must focus
on increasing the number of healthcare workers working for the promotion of HIV prevention
and treatment. The reason behind this suggestion is the fast-growing number of HIV patients
who need comprehensive primary and secondary care and support. These health workers
must remain well equipped with educational materials that can support further education of
the populace at large. Training of the newly formed health workforce is critical since this

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would only make the professionals competent enough to handle complex and critical
situations. Education and training of professionals would ensure that they can contribute to
improvements in health and life expectancy of the individual of the communities.
The African region is marked by the high rate of adolescent fertility, which is to be
given more attention in future for enabling prevention of HIV in this region. Reduction of
teenage pregnancy is a highly felt issue, and thus it is to be made the agenda for different
health promotion programs that can combat the issue of HIV to a significant level. Concerted
effort is required for empowering adolescents to deter from engaging in unprotected sexual
activities. They are also to be supported to fight early cohabilitation and engage in safe sexual
practices. Family planning is a major aspect in this regard, and more information is to be
imparted in this regard since research indicates poor knowledge level of the individuals.
Proper education and encouragement can only motivate individuals to walk in this path
(Magadi, 2017).
Conclusion
At the end of this paper, it can be concluded that HIV/AIDS is certainly a burning
public health concern across the globe. The epidemic has grown on an unprecedented scale
in the sub-Saharan African region in the last three decades, thereby becoming a leading cause
of death in this region. The prevalence of HIV has a deep relation with variation in health and
socioeconomic factors that are admitted in projections about pandemics on the basis of
epidemiological data. Differences in cultures and practices among populations, and,
socioeconomic and political factors explain much of the variation found between Africa and
other parts of the globe. Chief altruistic organisations are trying their best to help the
population come out of the catastrophic condition; nevertheless, challenges faced are
profound. Since poor education level among the masses and lack of accountability of the

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government’s part have been held responsible for high rate of HIV prevalence in the African
region, there is a need of strategies that are aligned in these concerns at the earliest.

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References
Gökengin, D., Doroudi, F., Tohme, J., Collins, B., & Madani, N. (2016). HIV/AIDS: trends
in the Middle East and North Africa region. International Journal of Infectious
Diseases, 44, 66-73.
HIV and AIDS in East and Southern Africa. (2018). Retrieved 6 January 2018, from
http://ps://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa
HIV/AIDS. (2018). World Health Organization. Retrieved 6 January 2018, from
http://www.who.int/gho/hiv/en/
Lachman, J. M., Cluver, L. D., Boyes, M. E., Kuo, C., & Casale, M. (2014). Positive
parenting for positive parents: HIV/AIDS, poverty, caregiver depression, child
behavior, and parenting in South Africa. AIDS care, 26(3), 304-313.
Liamputtong, P. (2015). Stigma, Discrimination and Living with HIV/AIDS. Springer.
Lombe, M., & Ochumbo, A. (Eds.). (2017). Children and AIDS: Sub-Saharan Africa. Taylor
& Francis.
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Mondal, M. N. I., & Shitan, M. (2013). Factors affecting the HIV/AIDS epidemic: an
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Mwale, M., & Muula, A. S. (2017). Systematic review: a review of adolescent behavior
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Poku, N. K. (2017). The political economy of AIDS in Africa. Taylor & Francis.
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